The MPE controller range from ROLI has been with us since the original Seaboard GRAND was released back in 2013, but the latest version of the 49-key Seaboard RISE refines the original ethos to give you even greater gestural control over all sounds, especially acoustic instruments.
Mimicking traditional instruments has been something that has spurred development in the world of music technology ever since the first synthesizer was invented. Many an inventor and manufacturer has sought to recreate the sonic properties of acoustic instruments but not so much the feel – that has been left up to the humble keyboard.
While the classic black-and-white piano key arrangement has served synths and synthesists well, it is still bound by a limiting amount of gestural tactility that some acoustic instruments have in spades. This is something that has been addressed with the development of the Seaboard RISE 2 and its 5D technology.
No other MPE controller offers the same amount of gestural control as the RISE 2. The five dimensions are divided into Strike, Glide, Slide, Press and Lift, which translates to Velocity, Pitch, Mod Wheel, Aftertouch and Note-off in standard MIDI terms.
Naming these five dimensions in such a way better associates the player with the hardware and promotes a greater connection with a sound source such as Equator2, which has been refined to become the voice of RISE 2.
A great way to demonstrate the 5D technology is with the acoustic sounds within Equator2. Each dimension can mimic the gestures associated with more traditional acoustic instruments in a way that no electronic hardware has done before.
The subtlety and natural movement of creating pitch bends on a stringed instrument can be easily recreated by rolling a finger over each keywave. So much so that you won’t necessarily need to have played a stringed instrument before playing the Seaboard RISE 2. The same goes for mimicking other acoustic instruments such as a flute, which requires a lot of practice and skill to perform and yet can be recreated with ease utilising the gestures at your disposal on the RISE 2.
The second generation of Seaboard RISE features an updated playing surface with each keywave now wider than before and with an added ‘fret’ to easily navigate to the centre of the keywave, ensuring perfect pitch is attained. In essence, the RISE 2 is easier to play than ever before.
Aside from the playing surface, other improvements in this latest iteration include the addition of a MIDI out and USB-C ports, further enhancing the controllers compatibility with the rest of your studio. It’s also worth noting that the RISE 2 chassis is now finished in an alluring anodized blue colour that perfect contrasts the playing surface to greatly improve visibility in low light.
The gestural power of 5D is further bolstered by the RISE 2’s control panel with its three macro faders and XY pad that can be mapped to any parameter in Equator2, courtesy of the softsynth’s extensive Mod Matrix.
The pairing of Seaboard RISE 2 and Equator2 is a truly inspirational force that can turn its hand to any production scenario you can think of, be it film scoring, sound design and practically every musical genre under the sun.
If you want to find out more on the Seaboard RISE 2 then check out the ROLI website now.